Mailer type business forms utilizing pressure sensitive cohesive, particularly in Z-fold and C-fold (normal or eccentric) configurations, are increasingly more popular. The pressure sensitive cohesive utilized is that used with the SpeediSealer.RTM. pressure seal equipment marketed by Moore U.S.A. of Lake Forest, Ill. One particular form of such adhesive that is particularly desirable is that sold by Toppan of Japan under the trade designation TN-124, which is a styrene-natural rubber copolymer and is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,851 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,128 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein). Other commercially available pressure sensitive cohesives may be those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,464, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
In a typical Z-fold (such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,193,850 and 5,253,798) or C-fold (the 5,201,464 patent) mailer type business forms with pressure sensitive cohesive, in high speed manufacturing installations there can be a problem with blocking of the adhesive at the press, or at other points during manufacture, particularly when in a roll configuration. This is caused by pressure sensitive cohesive in the edge strips on one face of the business form intermediates in a roll engaging such cohesive on the second face of underlying intermediates in the same roll. This can result in damaged product, press interruptions, and a wide variety of other adverse consequences, and have heretofore not been corrected.
According to the present invention the problem of blocking as described above is solved by providing the pressure sensitive cohesive patterns and the longitudinal edge strips spaced from each other on the first and second faces of the intermediates so that when the intermediates are in a roll configuration (or otherwise in the position where the first face of one intermediate engaging the second face of another) the cohesive patterns cannot touch each other and therefore there is no potential for a blocking problem. While a blocking problem is not significant presently for strips or other patterns of pressure sensitive cohesive that extend transversely to the edge strips (since they very infrequently come in contact with each other in the roll configuration), according to the invention it is also possible to space the transverse patterns too so that they also cannot come in contact with each other when the intermediates are in a roll configuration.
According to one aspect of the present invention a mailer-type business intermediate is provided comprising the following components: A sheet or web of paper having first and second surfaces, and first and second substantially parallel side edges. First and second lines of weakness formed in the web adjacent and substantially parallel to the first and second side edges, respectively to define first and second edge strips, the edge strips each having a width X, in the dimension transverse to the first and second edges. First and second substantially linear patterns of pressure sensitive cohesive disposed on the first face in the first and second strips, respectively, adjacent the first and second lines of weakness, respectively, and substantially parallel to the first and second lines of weakness, each of the first and second substantially linear patterns having a width Y which is less than X (typically less than one-half of X). Third and fourth substantially linear patterns of pressure sensitive cohesive disposed on the second face in said first and second strips, respectively, adjacent the first and second edges, respectively, and substantially parallel to the first and second edges, each of the third and fourth substantially linear patterns having a width Z which is less than X (typically less than one-half of X), and Y plus Z is less than X, so that the first and second patterns of cohesive do not overlap, respectively, the third and fourth patterns of adhesive, and so that substantially no cohesive in the first and second strips on the first face overlaps cohesive in the strips on the second face in the transverse direction. And, a plurality of fold lines disposed in the web or sheet extending substantially perpendicular to the first and second side edges.
In a preferred embodiment the web or sheet is in roll configuration with the first and second faces of different portions of the web or sheet in contact with each other while the first and second edges of all portions of the web or sheet are in alignment, the first and second patterns of adhesive not engaging, respectively, the third and fourth patterns of adhesive. Typically Y is substantially equal to Z, and the first and second patterns of cohesive are spaced in the transverse dimension from, respectively, the third and fourth patterns of cohesive, a distance D. The distance D may be at least 5 mm, or at least between about 1-15 mm, and is preferably about one centimeter.
A plurality of transverse extending substantially linear patterns of pressure sensitive cohesive may also be provided disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to at least some of the fold lines. If desired, the plurality of transversely extending patterns of cohesive may comprise patterns in both the first and second faces, and the cohesive on the first face may be spaced from the cohesive on the second face in the transverse dimension so that the transversely extending patterns on the first and second faces do not overlap.
Preferably the web comprises a plurality of intermediates and a plurality of the fold lines comprise lines of weakness, separately the plurality of intermediates from each other into individual intermediates, which are made into individual mailer type business forms. The intermediates are preferably Z-fold or eccentric Z-fold intermediates, although the invention is also readily applicable to C-fold or eccentric C-fold intermediates. The invention need not be used on V-fold intermediates since the blocking problem does not occur there.
According to another aspect of the present invention a method of making mailer type business forms from intermediates in a roll configuration as described above is provided. The method comprises the steps of sequentially: (a) Mounting the roll for rotation about a generally horizontal axis for let-off of the intermediates, the linear patterns of pressure sensitive adhesive not overlapping so that blocking is avoided. (b) Feeding the intermediates from the roll to a printer. (c) Printing the intermediates from the roll in seriatim in the printer, including printing outgoing addresses. (d) Detaching individual printed intermediates from the roll. (e) Folding each of the detached intermediates so that the cohesive patterns in the edge strips thereof are in contact with each other. And, (f) applying pressure to each of the folded intermediates sufficient to cause the cohesive patterns to seal, and thereby form a completed mailer.
The intermediates may include tractor drive strips outside of the first and second edges thereof, and there may be the further step of cutting off the tractor drive strips prior to step (f) (typically even before step (a), or after step (c)). Step (e) may be practiced by Z-folding or C-folding the detached intermediates, depending upon the configuration of the intermediates in the roll.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention a Z-folded mailer type business from is provided comprising the following components: At least first, second and third quadrate panels overlapping each other and formed from a single sheet of paper having first and second substantially parallel end edges, and first and second side edges substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the end edges. First and second lines of weakness formed in the sheet extending adjacent and spaced from and substantially parallel to the side edges. The panels each comprising top and bottom faces, the top face of the first panel being a continuation of the bottom face of the second panel and the top face of the third panel, and the bottom face of the first panel being a continuation of the top face of the second panel and the bottom face of the third panel. First and second substantially linear patterns of pressure sensitive cohesive disposed on the first panel bottom face and the second panel top face in the edge strips adjacent one of the side edges or the lines of weakness thereof, and mating with each other to hold the first and second panels together. Third and fourth substantially linear patterns of pressure sensitive cohesive disposed on the second panel bottom face and the third panel top face in the edge strips adjacent the other of the side edges or the lines of weakness thereof, and mating with each other to hold the second and third panels together. The third and fourth patterns of cohesive being spaced from the first and second patterns of cohesive a distance of between about one-fifteen mm in a dimension parallel to the end edges, so that the third and fourth patterns of cohesive do not overlap the first and second patterns of cohesive. And, outgoing address indicia formed on one of the panels so that the indicia is visible when the top face of the first panel is viewed. For example the outgoing address indicia is preferably imaged on the top face of the first panel (either directly, or on a label applied thereto), although if a window is provided in the first panel, the outgoing address may be imaged on the top face of the second panel. Similar mailer type business forms may be made by C-folding.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the construction of Z-fold or C-fold mailer type business forms from intermediates in a roll, or like, configuration which substantially avoids the blocking problem. This and other aspects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.